Behind the Curtains
by SACA BAF
Summary: When Fang, the famous actor wants something new, he didn't expect to be in a Broadway. He didn't expect to be in one written by his ex's sister, starring in it with said ex. When Maya gets injured, who else better to step in than the writer herself? FAX!
1. Prologue

_Behind The Curtains_

**Chapter 1- **Prologue

_[The Ride Estate in East Hampton. The dining room/living room area. Minimal light from the window is cast on Max. Thunder booms, lightning flash. Broadway music is drifting in from her father's study.]_

The little seven-year-old girl, Maximum Ride, stared out the window, face sad as she watched each tiny raindrop trickle down the window, making a drumming nose. Then, her eyes wandered past the rain, the fog, and the greenery, landing on the empty driveway. It had been empty for the past three months, after her mother, Valencia Martinez, and twin sister, Maya Ride, went to Hollywood to get her sister some more fame; not that she really needed it in the first place. Because she was 'so special,' had 'so much talent,' unlike Max — Little Miss Nobody, No-Talent, No-Fame.

Biting her lip, Max tried not to cry as she looked away from the window. Compared to Maya, Max was nothing. Not even a speck on the radar. Not her mother's radar, not on a manager's radar, and definitely not on Nick's. And that's exactly where Maya wanted her; as a nobody. As a shadow hidden behind the sun. The footprint washed away from the shore after rain. Suddenly, tears fell down Max's face, tears she had been fighting for three months. The thoughts just… brought them out.

Sobbing and shuddering, she didn't even notice her father, Jeb Ride, who had come over to see what was wrong, until his arms wrapped around her. Curling into his chest, she just let them all fall, and the sobs shook her tiny frame. Her father tightened his grip, smoothing back her hair and kissing her forehead. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked her, his voice soft and loving. Max and her father had always been close, probably because Maya and Valencia were always off on business. It was almost always just Max and Jeb. The two leftover scraps nobody wanted.

"I-I'm n-n-nothing. Maya's so much be-be-better th-than m-me, i-in every wa-ay, and Mom l-l-loves her m-m-more than m-me," she choked out, and Jeb shushed her as she hiccupped, eyes screwed shut tightly. "Sh-sh-she's best friends wi-with N-Nick, a f-f-famous movie st-star, and I-I'm best friends with Ari, the h-h-huge, t-t-tough, w-w-weird s-s-six year old. I l-love him li-like a br-rother, bu-but…"

Jeb pulled back a little, smiling at her, an idea sprouting in his mind. "Well… what if it was the other way around?" he asked, and Max sniffled, rubbing her eyes and silently asking him what he meant with them. Smiling, Jeb winked at her, picking her up piggy-back style, and bringing her to his writing desk, or his 'Magic Station.' Max's eyes widened and she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Daddy, what're we doing at your Magic Station? Are you going to write a musical?" she asked, her sobs finally subsiding and her curiosity coming out. He laughed, smiling at her and setting her on his lap as he sat down. Looking at the old-fashioned typewriter, Max squealed a little.

Jeb was a famous Broadway musical writer, and so Max grew up writing songs with him. She, even at the age of seven, was amazing at it by then. "Maxie, I'm not going to write a musical," her father said, and she deflated, frowning. Then, he turned her to face him on his lap, winking and grinning. "_We're_ going to write a musical! You and me, Miss Maximum Ride, just like always."

Max grinned toothily up at her father before squirming off of his lap and running to the dining room table, where the two had stacked various Max's artistic masterpieces. Pulling out her sketchbook, she ran back, flipping through it until it came to rest on a picture of six kids that resembled older versions of Max and her friends, Nudge, Iggy, Gazzy, and Angel, and then the famous Nick to the side, arms folded over his chest. They all had wings.

"Daddy, this is our play. Maximum Ride," she said, voice excited and dramatic as she shoved it towards him, "The Musical."

Jeb looked over the idea before grinning, picking up his daughter and swinging her around. "Maximum Ride: The Musical…" he mused. "By George, I think we've got it! You're a little genius, aren't you?" he asked in awe, and Max beamed, blushing. All of her previous sadness had been forgotten as soon as he had said the word 'musical.'

* * *

_[Blackout, scene change, nine years later, waiting room for a Broadway musical producer.]_

Max fiddled with her fingers in her lap, biting her lip. Jeb was inside, talking to a producer about their musical. She had finally finished the last line, and he called it a masterpiece. Max had thought it was an overstatement, but Jeb was so happy she couldn't take it away from him. He hadn't had a hit Broadway show since she was nine, and he was certain this was it.

Iggy, her best friend, was on the other side of her, groaning about how he didn't even understand how he was in any way part of the Musical. Angel, who was turning twelve that year, next to Iggy, just kept on whacking his arm and telling him to shut up. Gazzy, Angel's twin, and Nudge, Max's other best friend, the fourteen year old fashion-ista, were on the other side of the room, asleep.

But, ever the calm one, Max's old pal Ari was sitting in the middle of the hallway, meditating. Sitting in that position, he looked kind of weird, since he was a stocky fifteen year old football-star-quarterback boy that looked like he was twenty. Max shrugged it off; whatever floated his boat.

Smiling serenely, Ari peeked out at Max, waving a little. She saw the irony in the boy she had made his character, and chuckled quietly. The others, from her perspective, she had gotten pretty well. For a moment, she wondered who would be playing them all, before dismissing it. All she cared about was who was playing Fang — the main male, and the one her character ended up with.

Biting her lip, Max stared at the ceiling, wincing as she thought about who Fang was based on. Nick Davidson, her sister's ex-boyfriend and _her_ ex-celebrity crush, from when she was eight to when she was fourteen. It made her shudder just remembering the day her sister came home after the break up one year earlier, hair a mess, eyes wild and crazy, make up smudged. She had looked like she had come from hell. Sad to say, despite the fact them being twins, Max couldn't care less.

Humming a little, she couldn't help but feel down that the musical was finished. She had been working on it for nine years — working out the kinks, editing the characters, fixing up dialogue. It was like her diary — it held all of her innermost thoughts and secrets, but in a science fiction shell. A shell no one, other than Ari and Jeb, of course, could see through.

Speaking of her father, or rather, thinking, the door to the office busted open, and Jeb walked out with a broad grin, which he directed right at Max, holding his arms out. "Maxie, we're in!" Just those three words made her heart stop, in shock, before grinning and yelping, jumping into her father's outstretched arms. She might have been sixteen, but she didn't weigh more than one hundred fifteen pounds, so it was easy for Jeb to swing her in a circle.

"We're in! We've made a musical!" Max exclaimed, voice so happy, it was contagious, and her friends began to cheer, hugging and dancing around. Ari just smiled softly from the ground up at her. The excitement was bubbling in her veins, as she laughed from pure glee. It was as if happiness was jolting through her, making her heart glow. Because, for once — just _once_ — in her life, she had something extraordinary that Maya could never, ever beat. Not even if she tried.

And, boy, did that feel good to know.

_[Blackout...]_

* * *

**Authors' note:**

P.S. three people wrote this:

_Fluffy Bunnies Are So Cute_, _Anna Ride_, and _Unicorns. Bubbles. Awesomeness_., hence the "BAF" in the penname. The "SACA" stands for _Super Awesome/Amazing Co-Authors!_ Which we are :)

**Anna: **And, ah, I want to apologize to _MusicLuver_, who has been on my back about my new stories...AND TELL HER NOT TO SEND ME ANOTHER SCOLDING MESSAGE! THEY MAKE ME SAD AND FEEL GUILTY.

**Fluffy: **And I would like to say… YES! I HAVE A NEW STORY! Hehe… Silly me :) But I get to write with amazing people!

**Bubbles: **I, uh, don't really have anything to say other than this story is going TO ROCK THEIR SOCKS OFF!

Okay everyone, us three are going to be doing duel stories. As in two stories? One. Two? So be on the look out! We'll let you know when it's up! VERY SOON!

So buh-bye!

**=)SACA BAF(=**


	2. Maximum Ride: The Musical

_Behind The Curtains_

**Chapter Two-** Maximum Ride: The Musical**  
**

**Act One, Scene One (Fang)**

_[Light from outside basks the cluttered office, with folders and files everywhere, in light. The man and woman walk in, the woman looking annoyed and the man looking bored.]_

Sighing, the man plopped down in the chair, putting his feet up on his manager's desk. His manager gave him a look, her eyebrows raised, and motioned for him to move them. Raising his eyebrows, the man shook his head a little; his version of a defiant 'No.' Sighing, the manager, a Ms. Camellia Love, just sat down, folding her hands together and looking him hard in the eyes. Once again, the man was struck by the thought she was only three years older than he, at seventeen years old, was.

"Nick, you've been getting pickier about jobs, if possible." She muttered the last part, but he still heard it, smirking a little at her as she narrowed her deep red eyes at him. "You say you want something 'different,' something 'amazing,' something 'never before seen,' that 'nobody's never even dared to imagine' — something 'new.'" Drawing out the adjectives, she snorted, using quotation marks around them. "Well, here it is, Darling," Ms. Love said smugly, as she rolled her eyes, tossing him a folder. He caught it with ease, opening it to see a…

_Musical script?_

"Are you nuts —it's a freaking _Broadway musical_!" he snorted, eyes narrowed, tossing it back. Annoyed, Ms. Love shoved the folder at him insistently. Her dirty blonde hair was back in an artistic bun, but as she stood, it came undone slightly, falling around her pale face.

"Look, Nick — Fang is a great role. Honestly, I don't think you can even _handle_ it; it's just so not you, but you at the same time. The only reason I asked was that, (a), the character reminds me of you, except _better_, (b), it's a favor for a friend, and, (c), this could change the media's view on you. You won't be a partying heartbreaker, Nick — you'll be a sweet, kind, amazingly committed man. And if you don't like it, then all I have to say to you, is suck it up and go with it," she replied, leaning across the desk, her thin fingers clasped together.

Nick gave her a long, calculating look before nodding, standing and picking up the folder. "I'll give it a look," he said, voice flat, and she smirked, knowing she'd won. Standing straight again, Ms. Love nodded at the door with an impatient expression, urging him to leave, as she was no longer interested in him. She might have been young, but she was certainly only interested in business.

At least, that's what Nick thought until he saw her, out of the corner of his eye, pick up her phone and dial a number. When the person on the other end picked up, she undid her hair and grinned. "Yeah, he agreed… Mhm, I know you owe me… dinner _there?_ Hun, you gotta do better than that… haha, yeah, totally… Mm? Oh, tell her I say hi, and to go to hell! Hahaha… Yeah, I miss you all, too… No, of course not _her_… Haha…"

Blinking, Nick raised an eyebrow but left anyways. It was like seeing your teacher at the grocery store in elementary school. You don't really think they exist outside of the classroom, but then there they are, smiling and wearing t-shirts and jeans as they chatter with their friends or husband.

Shaking it off, he glanced at the folder with a wrinkled nose. Snorting, he rolled his eyes. As if he was actually going to like it. Broadway musicals weren't his style, and he was certain they never would be. But as he passed the trashcan, he didn't throw it away like usual. For some reason, he was going to give it a try.

_[Blackout. A few hours later, night, back at the office. Nick busts in.]_

"When the _heck_ are auditions?" he asked, palms on the desk and midnight eyes narrowed. Ms. Love smiled, pleased, with a hint of cockiness as well. Smoothing out her skirt slowly, biting her lip and glancing unsurely at the ceiling, she pretended to think. Nick soon grew impatient, knowing she was just rubbing in her success. "Fine, you were right, now give me the dang time, date, and place!"

Ms. Love stood, picking up her keys and cappuccino with a serene smile. "Hun, calm down," she said, and he glared at her. She knew he hated it when she talked down to him. "Since I know the writer, and the director, _and_ the producer, and they _obviously_ all know you, you're already in."

He blinked as she walked past. "I'm already in?" She nodded, winking at him before wiggling her fingers goodbye and leaving. "I'm… already… in…" he repeated slowly before smirking to himself, shaking his head a little and walking out, thinking highly of himself.

* * *

_[Nick's apartment, also cluttered, movie reviews, DVDs, magazines, pictures, anything with his face on it is everywhere. Mostly black-grey touches, like the marble kitchen counter. Nick is laying on his black bed, manila folder in his hands.]_

_**Max:**__[Whirls around, glaring.] _Would you stop that?

_**Fang:**__[Smirks calmly at her.] _Stop what? Breathing?

_**Max:**__[Nasty glare.] _You know what.

_**Fang:**__[Smirk and shrug, glancing in the fridge.] _Iggy, breakfast?

_**Iggy:**__[Smiles, walking up and bumping Max out of the way.] _Eggs, bacon, pancakes, and a purely hot blind pyro at your service!

_**Max:**__[Looks around, sarcastic.]_ Ooh! Where?

_**Iggy:**__[Puts a hand to his heart, feigning hurt.] _Ouch, Max. That stung.

Smiling a little, Nick wondered about the writer. The name, Maximum Ride, sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it exactly. All he got was flashes of Maya, his snotty, stuck-up, cheater of an ex-girlfriend, whom he loathed. Biting his lip, he thought a little harder. He was certain he knew this girl. But he _just couldn't remember her. _And that made him feel kind of guilty.

With another sigh, he opened up the script again, but a small corner of his mind was still mulling over the puzzle of Maximum Ride. _Who is she, and what does she have to do with Maya?_ He wondered, eventually deciding he couldn't focus on the script after he had read the beginning twenty times.

"I guess I'll find out soon enough," he muttered to himself, putting the script on his bedside table and taking off his shirt with a yawn. Tossing the clothing to the ground, he got under the sheets and blankets and fell asleep with Maya's face in his head.

_[Blackout. Next day, park. Nick is in a dumb disguise of a blonde wig and blue contacts. Suddenly, some kids walk by.]_

"C'mon, Maxie," the strawberry blonde boy groaned, looking pouty. "Can't you give us the script yet? It's killing me, not knowing how it goes! You said that after it was finished, you would show us!" Three of the others — an African-American girl and two blonde haired, blue eyed, pale skinned twins, but one boy and one girl — nodded in agreement with this statement and complained, as well.

Laughing, the girl that was left, who seemed to be around Nick's age, laughed, tossing her brown-blonde-auburn hair out of her chocolate brown eyes in a familiar way. Narrowing his eyes, he watched on from the corner of his eye. "Sorry, guys — you need the parts first."

Then, a guy who looked to be in his early twenties jogged up with a serene smile on his face. He had chestnut brown hair and matching eyes, as well as tan skin. "Hey, guys, you talking about MRM?" he asked, and the girl chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"What else, Ari? They want me to show them the script, and I just won't budge," the girl replied, and her laugh was like tinkling bells. Nick smiled a little at the sound. It, too, was familiar. "I don't think they get the concept of, 'Closed to the public.'"

The man, Ari, rolled his eyes, as well. "Well, you showed it to that jerk-of-a-movie star dude, didn't you? And you didn't even know if he'd go for it," he pointed out, and her face flushed red. And then it clicked. She looked a lot like Maya_._

Except, she wasn't Maya. She, (a), wasn't wearing designer girly-girl clothes, (b), seemed nice — way out of Maya's character —, (c) she didn't have any pink highlights, unless she took them out, (which was highly unlikely, considering Maya's love of her streaks.) And (d), she was _at the park, _where Nick distinctly remembered Maya complaining, 'dogs took giant freakin' poopers that nobody picked up', 'kids were always screaming', 'both animals and children, (although she saw them as pretty much the same,) ran up to people,' and everything was 'so dirty.'

Nick tried to picture Maya being at the park with a messy ponytail, no make-up, no highlights, wearing jeans and a messy t-shirt, before deciding _it just wasn't possible_. For some reason, he had a tiny gut feeling that this girl wasn't Maya, but he knew her.

After mulling over whether or not to approach them and ask for their names for a few minutes, he sighed. Suddenly, the strawberry blonde's eyes fell on him, narrowed and suspicious, and Nick realized that he must've looked like a stalker/creeper person for staring at them like that for so long. He averted his gaze to the ground and scurried off, feeling the guy's eyes on his back.

_I'm _such_ a stalker. _He thought as he walked away, trying not to face palm. Glancing back, he took in the rest of the scene, eyes on the brunette.

"Well, you know that's different, I mean, you know, Ari… About… the part… Oh, shut up! Stop laughing, darn it!" the girl, whose face was still red, exclaimed, looking annoyed. They just continued laughing.

Nick smiled to himself slightly, and was still smiling when he got to his apartment.

_[Blackout]_

**Authors' Note: **AND… SCENE. Thank you all for reviewing! Here are some review responses...

_Light Iron Girder:__Well, we all come up with ideas (in our meetings – like pros XD – everyday) online, since we all live like... Everywhere. And then one person is assigned to write it, and when they're done, the other two beta! Thanks for reviewing!_

**Anna: **Hehe. I love writing in Fangy's POV. We can change up the stuff in his brain to make him an idiot, or weird, or stalkerish, or insane. How amazing modern society is!

**Bubbles: **I'm so excited for this story! EEEP! Ok. Please review!

**Fluffy: **Hehe. Nudge rocks socks, Fang kicks butt, Max kicks ass, and… Maya's a noob. Just lovely :) I like this chapter. Well… I hope you did too! Review please?

**=) SACA BAF (=**


	3. Auditions

_Behind The Curtains_

**Chapter Three- **Auditions

**Act One, Scene Two (Max)**

_[The writer, assistant, director, and producer are sitting in the back of an auditorium. They will decide the cast of MRM, after the auditions today.]_

The four of them sat in the back of the auditorium, in the darkness. The only lights in the room were directed at the stage, the center of attention. Today was the day; a very important day. The day the rest of the cast of _Maximum Ride: the Musical_ would be chosen.

Max sat closest to the stage, one row in front of the others. Her hair, which never seemed to stay a constant color, was tucked away in a loose bun, kept out of her face. Resting her head on her hand as she leant forward, Max stared intently at the currently empty stage before her, as she played with a pencil in her other hand. She was nervous, to say the least. Jeb had shown her quite a large list of names, which were those who wished to audition. How could she choose _one_ from all of that?

All she could hope for, was her friends (in which she based the names of the characters off of) would get the parts. Max had tried to write their personalities from her head, onto the paper. Hopefully, it was a success, and the script would come naturally to them.

Behind her, sat Jeb, her 'assistant' — it felt so weird to call her father that —, Anne, her director, and Lissa, her producer. They too were excited for what was to come, for each had read the script from cover to back, engrossed with the plot.

"Max, I just want to congratulate you again, the musical is genius!" Lissa praised kindly, as she leaned forward to address Max. Lissa was nice to Max, although she was friends with Maya as well. It was twisted and knotted up to the roots, but she enjoyed talking to each of them, for their individual and completely different reasons.

Turning around to face the voice, Max smiled. "Thank you. I just can't believe I'm… nervous! I mean, I've read, and reread the script countless amount of times, yet here I am, about to crap my pants," Max sighed. "I began working on this with Jeb," she gestured to her father, who was talking to Anne, "ever since I was seven. Nine years I spent writing and editing this musical. All I want is for it to be perfect."

"I'm sure it will be," Lissa said genuinely. What could go wrong? All _Lissa_ wanted was for it to not become a disaster because of her, and a debt that had to be repaid.

After looking up at the three above her, and them giving consent, Max leaned forward to the microphone. "First up please, Monique Williams," she said into the microphone. Her tone of voice was encouraging, which was exactly what she wanted it to be. Nudge was a born actress, and Max wasn't worried at all.

She and another helper walked out. The person that was auditioning must have the lines memorized, but they could call for another character, if needed for the scene. Nudge stood tall on the stage, and smiled widely, winking.

"South America," the person acting as Maximum Ride said coaxingly. "It'll be warm. They have llamas. You like llamas."

Nudge crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, as she frowned. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she replied, "I want to stay here."

"How long do you think it'll take another suicide to find us?" the helper read off the script.

She shrugged. "This place is out in the desert. And Ms. Hamilton told us about all the safety measures — the alarms, the lights, the radars. This is what we've been looking for!" Nudge cried, her voice strong as she tried to persuade the fake Maximum into letting them stay at the school. "I want to learn!" Nudge looked into the other person's face, eyes wide and pleading. "I'm tired of being scared!

"We all are! And as soon as we finish our big mission, we'll be able to relax. I promise!"

Sighing, Nudge looked down at her feet. "I just want to fit in. I want to be like other kids."

"Nudge, most of the other kids here seem like spineless, gullible weenies who wouldn't survive one day on their own." The helper snapped, and Max winced slightly. It wasn't right. She knew they were only helping, but still…it pained her to see her character butchered.

Nudge burst. "That's the point! They don't _need_ to! They're not on their own — people take care of them," she added.

"I've always taken care of you and the others as best I could."

She smiled gently, as her eyes softened. "But you're just a kid yourself," she whispered, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Then, she straightened her back, and looked 'Maximum' straight in the eye. "Max, I want to stay."

"We _can't_ stay. You know that. We have to go. This has been fun, not fun exactly, but better than a punch in the gut. But it's over now, and we have to get back to reality, however much that might suck."

"I'm staying," Nudge said firmly.

"What?"

"I want to be normal. I want to be like other kids. I'm tired of being a freak and having to run all the time and never being able to settle down. I want a home," she emphasized each word. "And I know how to get one."

"How?"

Nudge looked down, and mumbled something incoherent.

"What?"

"If I don't have wings," she whispered, still staring at her feet.

_And… Scene._ Max thought, as she smiled down at the stage. Nudge had chosen a good excerpt from the musical to do; very dramatic, and in depth. Not to mention, she portrayed the character, Nudge, well.

As she exited the stage, Max glanced up at her three fellow judges. Each had an approving look on their face, which Max concluded was a good thing. Anne nodded in her direction, and Max looked at the next name on the list, smiling.

"Zephyr Jones, up next!"

Gazzy came onto the stage, proud as ever, although Max could tell he was a bit nervous, due to his tense walking. A man and a woman, each holding a script came out after him.

"Prepare for attack! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill! We are at DEFCON one! Arm the torpedoes, and plot evasive action!" the first man read. "You kids stay here."

"Um — if I might make a suggestion," Gazzy said, looking curiously at the man.

"No time kid," the first man said

The woman said, "You should listen to this."

"What?" the man playing the captain asked.

"This one time, when we were surrounded by M-Geeks, there was a storm coming, and we rigged a delayed-timer electricity booster," Gazzy explained earnestly. "When lightning hit the rod, it was amplified, and we aimed it at the M-Geeks. They all, like, turned inside out, and fried. It was excellent," he said, beaming.

"That was good thinking, son," said the first man, "but I don't see how that helps us now."

Gazzy coughed, as if it made it all perfectly clear. "You've got _torpedoes_."

"Torpedoes are good at hitting a particular target. These things are many smaller targets, and they're in direct contact with our ship. We can't do anything to them, without harming ourselves."

"No, no," Gazzy shook his head impatiently. "You take the detonator out, then wire it directly to the sub's hull," he explained. "If you want to give it an extra oomph, take the actual explosive stuff, like the ammonium nitrate stuff, and diffuse it throughout the water," suggested Gazzy. "Then, when you electrify the metal hull, it'll ignite and spread the damage out into the water, but not too far, and you'll take out mostly M-Geeks, since I bet they probably scared off most fish in the area."

"They're really good at this. They like to… blow up things," the women said.

Gazzy smiled eagerly. "We know how to do it in lots of different ways!" he added.

The man paused for a moment before calling out, "Lieutenant Youngville, report to the map room!" Later, he added, "She's our demolitions master," pause, "At ease. Young man, explain your theory to Lieutenant Youngville. Fast."

Excitedly, yet thoroughly, Gazzy re-explained the demolition plan.

Blinking the woman complimented Gazzy, nodding slowly. "You're a diabolical little pyro, aren't you?"

He blushed modestly, perfectly. Max beamed at his excellence, even though he couldn't see her.

"Let's do this thing!" the women called, before the scene ended.

Max applauded mentally, wondering how in the world she wrote that part having to do with bombs. That was something only Gazzy — and possibly Iggy — would think of. Max doubted the fact that anyone besides Gazzy himself would play the role of, 'the Gasman,' as well as he had just performed. Even more, she doubted the fact that the others disagreed.

Many other people auditioned next, all doing well, including Iggy and Ari. There was one girl, in horribly prepared "mutant bird wings," as she attempted to play Max by galloping around the stage. Max shuddered from the memory.

However, next, it was Angel.

"Angel Jones, please," Max spoke into the microphone. There was no doubt she'd capture the hearts of the audience by just _appearing_ on the stage.

And there she was, clad in a white, _angelic_ dress, besides a women, who would voice Max. Angel smiled up at the lady, before beginning.

"You _are _really pretty, Max," she said in a small voice. "You have nice hair and really pretty eyes," Angel continued thoughtfully.

The woman groaned, "Yeah, brown and brown. Have I mentioned how much Fang loves _red_ hair? I believe I have," she grumbled.

"No, your hair has little sun streaks in it," Angel informed her. "And your eyes are like — you know those chocolates we had in France? With the gooey stuff in the middle, with the alcohol in 'em except we didn't know, and Gazzy ate a million and then barfed all night? Those chocolates?" she asked innocently. Max swore she heard someone behind her go "Aww." (It was most likely Anne, who was a sucker for the littles.)

"The color of my eyes is like barfed-up chocolate?"

Angel shook her blonde head. "No, the chocolates before they were barfed," she clarified.

"So there you have it, the extent of my charms: brown hair and eyes like unbarfed chocolate. I'm a lucky girl."

"Max," Angel said softly. "You know Fang is the best guy ever. And he loves you. 'Cause you're the best girl ever."

The women sighed. "We all love each other Angel."

Angel continued relentlessly, "No, not like this. Fang _loves_ you."

Rolling her eyes, the woman replied, "Okay, maybe I'll give him a break."

"Maybe you should give him more than that," Angel pressed in a determined voice. "He could totally be your boyfriend," she continued lacing her words with annoying persistence. "You guys could get married. I could be like a junior bridesmaid. Total could be your flower dog."

"I'm only a kid!" the woman shrieked. "I can't get married!"

"You could in New Hampshire," Angel insisted knowingly.

When she flounced off the stage, Anne leaned down to Max's level. "She's getting the part," she whispered in Max's ear. "She's too adorable to _not_ get it."

Max smiled, knowing how excited Angel would be to hear the news. "Well, I guess we're done!" she stretched. "Anyone want anything to eat before we discuss?" Max questioned.

"Yes, a water please," Lissa asked. Max looked at Jeb.

"Coke, please."

"And an iced tea for me please," Anne replied. Max got out of her chair, her legs stiff, as she headed down the stairs, and out the auditorium to the vending machine.

Re-entering the auditorium, Max's heart stopped. She saw herself on the stage. An exact copy of herself.

Except for one thing — she had a large, magenta streak in her hair.

It wasn't Maximum Ride. It was Maya Ride. And she was auditioning for the part of Maximum.

_[Blackout]_

* * *

**Authors' Notes: **Ooh! Partial cliffhanger! Well actually, it pretty much _is_ one… But who cares?

**Fluffy: **All scenes above were from Max: A Maximum Ride Novel. All other words are copy-righted to SACA BAF! Hope you liked the chapter!

**Bubbles: **Heeheehee. Cliffy. I hope you liked the chapter! Please review!

**Anna: **I loved this chapter! AND NO, I AM NOT BIASED! …Okay, I am.

**=) SACA BAF (=**


	4. Load of Bull

_Behind The Curtains_

**Chapter 4- **Load of Bull

**Act One, Scene Three (Max)**

_[Stage spotlight shine in the center, on Maya Ride. Max is off to the side, mouth open, as her eyes gleam with fury]_

_I cannot _believe_ this! I worked so hard, wanted Maya to so badly to be showed up, but no. She had to come and ruin everything that I've been creating for the past nine years of my life! Ugh! _Max ranted in her mind, as the guy playing Fang stepped up.

Glancing behind her, Max saw Lissa and Anne whispering to each other, smiling and nodding. Their eyes were on Maya. Max's stomach flopped, and she looked back at the stage. "What scene?" she called down to her sister, voice tight. Maya smiled innocently back.

"Bedroom scene, where Fang and Max argue about the RHW," she replied, and Max's fists clenched harder. That was _her_ favorite scene, the one that she connected to the most.

And Maya, of course, was about to ruin that.

"They down?" the guy asked Maya, glancing around the make-believe hallway at the make-believe rooms. Max's hands clenched by her sides.

Maya nodded. "They're beat. School really takes it out of them. And then, of course, Erasers."

"Yeah. Let them enjoy it while they can."

"She's taking my place!" Maya exclaimed, her teeth gritted together.

The other guy shrugged. "You're a fighter, not a mom."

She gasped, as if the comment actually stung her. "I can't be both? You think I'm a lousy mom? What, because I'm not girly enough, is that it?" she yelled mad. Max almost snorted. _Maya not girly enough?_ "Not like that girl with the red hair, stuck to you like glue?"

Her cheeks flamed with humiliation and anger. Max had to admit, Maya was surprisingly _really_ into it.

Stepping forward, the guy said quietly, "You're girly enough. As I recall," Maya's face turned a whole new color, as she clenched her hands and teeth. "And you've been a great mom. But you're only fourteen and you shouldn't have to be a mom. Give yourself ten years or so."

Maya stayed silent. "By the way, I've started a blog. I'm using the computers at school. Against all rules, of course. Fang's Blog," He chuckled, as Maya didn't meet his gaze. "Check it out sometime… _Mom_."

As the scene ended, Maya unfroze, and looked up at the judges. Her brown eyes spotted Max's, as she smirked in triumph. Max glared back, about to demand for Maya to get _off _the freakin' stage, when Lissa and Anne stood, clapping excitedly, "Brilliant! You're in!" Anne exclaimed, face bright with excitement.

Max just glared at her twin, who was ruining the one thing she was good at with a show-stopping smile on her too-innocent face.

_How did I not see this coming?_

"Doesn't she need to sing first?" Max asked them, voice flat. Maya couldn't sing for her life, if Max remembered correctly. But then again, she hadn't seen Maya in two years, and the last time Maya had sung near Max was when they had turned twelve, five years ago.

Jeb nodded, eyes worried and on Max. "Yeah, she's right," he said, "She'd have to sing to play Max." Anne nodded, and a look of, 'Uh-oh' crossed Lissa's face. Max guessed she had heard Maya sing before.

Maya, though, just smiled and nodded, looking completely okay with this. Max was immediately on alert, because, obviously, she trusted Maya about as close as she could throw her.

Her twin signaled to someone backstage, and someone passed her a mic, then, she was singing.

_What's she got that's so special?  
Her hair, her smile?  
—A load of bull.  
Oh, can't you just open your eyes for a while?_

_And I know it's crazy,  
That I'm thinking of you this way.  
And I know you see me,  
Differently, no matter what I say._

_But can't you see that she's no good for you?  
Oh, Fang, just look at her and listen to me,  
And you'll see my words are true.  
Open your eyes and see…_

_Everything between you two is a lie,  
What have you told her that's true?  
Oh, what have you said that won't break my,  
Heart in two?_

_What is it that you see in her?  
Is it that she's average,  
And when she looks in the mirror she doesn't see a monster covered in fur?_

I get that you don't love me,  
And that's okay.  
But why can't you see,  
That I'd stand by you, anyway?

_What's she got that's so special?  
Her hair, her smile?  
— A load of bull.  
Oh, can't you just open your eyes for a while?_

_Her flirty little looks,  
And her pouty lipped grins,  
Oh, that was all it took,  
And then the redhead wins._

_I can't explain why I hate her,  
There aren't really any words.  
And I can't imagine you two being as close as we were,  
Flying in-sync, like birds._

_What's she got that's so special?  
Her hair, her smile?  
— A load of bull.  
Oh, can't you just open your eyes for a while?_

_Oh, I can see this ending with a smash,  
Oh, because with every high,  
Comes the crash,  
And someone is left to cry._

_So I sit here, crying from the pain,  
My chest tight,  
Like I'd been hit by a train,  
Every sarcastic word a fight._

_Don't you see what you do to me?  
Don't you see the Great Maximum Ride,  
A crumpled mess, a sight to see,  
I bet you didn't even know she cried._

_Woah-oh-oh, woah-oh-ohhhh…_

**(Load Of Bull, by Fluffy and Anna!)**

Max's eyes narrowed farther, and she was about to scream as many cuss words as she could at her twin sister, who was getting a standing ovation. Max couldn't believe that Maya had just aced _and _landed the part of Maximum Ride, even though Max knew that she couldn't sing for her life.

Something was up here, and Max wanted to know _what._

_[Max's room, purple walls covered in Broadway Musical posters, playbooks, and pictures of the Maximum Ride characters. A bulletin board above her queen-sized black canopy bed shows pictures of her, Jeb and the gang. Clothes and song notebooks liter the floor. Her desk is cluttered with paper. She sitting on her bed, staring out the window. Ari enters. It has been three weeks since Maya "supposedly" got the part]_

"She cheated," Ari said after closing the door and plopping down on the floor in front of the bed. "We all know she has _no_ vocal talent, and so that performance was totally faked." His voice was calm and rational, as if there was no other opinion or explanation. This was just fact, and everyone needed to accept it. Even if it's been three weeks already. Three weeks, and Maya hasn't sung _once_.

Max sighed, hugging a pillow to her chest as she rested her chin on her knees. "I know that, Jeb knows that, you know that, but Anne and Lissa don't know that. I thought Lissa might, but when we left she was yapping on about how, 'Wow, Maya's vocal lessons really pulled off! She sounds almost as good as Max!' and smiling at me and stuff." She glowered at the people on the street below.

"She took your voice," Ari whispered, eyes wide. Max's head whipped towards him, eyes wide, as well. "You sing like an angel, like Lissa said, and we've all heard you in the shower, so don't think I don't know that. You've been singing that song in the shower for the past five years. Maya _had_ to have heard it," he reasoned, deep in thought. "It all makes sense now, seeing she hasn't sung once since auditions."

Max shook her head, "No, impossible. She didn't even know about the musical then —"

Ari rolled his eyes at her, "Max, with you rambling on about it and leaving pages everywhere, she knew, which means she knew about Nick and Fang, since she isn't exactly _dumb,_ just snotty…"

Max's eyes widened, "So at first, it was for embarrassing blackmail…" She trailed off, starting to see where this idea was going. "And then after the break up…"

"Jeb started talking to _everyone_ about you writing a hit Broadway show, and she knew that Nick would get the part somehow…" Ari broke off, looking at Max to finish it up.

"… And so she's using it to get him back?" she whispered, before looking at him. "She _was_ pretty shaken afterwards, but would she really go to such extreme measures?"

Ari rolled his eyes at her, standing. "Would she not?" he replied, stretching. "Well, I've got to go. You decide what you want to do with this information."

Max nodded, muttering a farewell, her eyebrows furrowed.

_[The theater, the next day. Maya is practicing a dance number with the choreographer on the edge of the stage when Max bursts through the doors.]_

"Maya Ride, you better explain yourself right now!" Max yelled, her voice and the sound of the doors hitting the walls booming through the auditorium. Maya looked up, shocked, missed a step and slipped.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

_Oh my god._

**Authors' Note: **UH OH.

**Anna: **BWAHAHAHA, SHUT THE FREAK UP, FLUFFS. ^.^ PLEASE. Because I no want to be ruuude. ***Giggle***

**Bubbles:** Heeheehee. This is our revenge on Maya. I hate her so much. That moron. Messing with Max and all. That's what you get, you loser. Karma, I say, KARMA! MWAHAHAHA! ….Sorry.

**Fluffy: **Just before I say anything: _**JP KNOWS ALL! HE PREDICTED ANNA'S LIFE!**_ And yes, Anna, I had to say that. Everyone has to know, although they may not exactly know _why_. And yes, _Anna_, I had to use caps, bold, italics, and underline. ANYWAYS, hehe. EVILNESS!

**=) SACA BAF (=**


	5. You're In

_Behind The Curtains_

**Chapter 5- **You're In

**Act One, Scene Four (Max)**

* * *

_[Max has confronted Maya, and she falls off the stage]_

Max stood there, mouth agape, as her twin sister Maya fell to her doom. Next thing she saw was Maya was on the floor, clutching her knee painfully. _What happened?_ Max thought to herself. She could tell that Maya wanted to cry, but she bit her lip to prevent tears from falling out.

"Call an ambulance, freak!" Maya shouted with an agonized cry out to Max, who was standing there dumbly, still in shock.

She hurriedly closed her mouth and pulled out her cell phone. "Yeah, is this 9-1-1? Hi, um I need an ambulance… Yeah; we're at 2604 West Point Drive… Okay, uh…um…thanks?" Max turned to Maya and said, "They should be here in a couple of minutes."

Maya's groan was loud, as she leant back, clutching her leg, tears streaming down her close eyelids.

_[The hospital; about 15 minutes later.] _

"Excuse me, where are Maya Ride's family and friends?" Ironically, Max was the only one who stood up in the room full of people.

"I'm her sister," she said to the nurse.

"Yeah, hi," the nurse said hurriedly. "Your sister is extremely injured, and it'll take a while to heal." _Well I know that, _Max sardonically thought to herself, adding in a mental snort, but nodded outwardly. The nurse went ahead and continued. "Yeah, so, she injured her leg severely, and she can't walk or anything like that for about — at_ least_ — 3 months. At least, that's what the doctor's assuming; it may take even longer."

Max's jaw dropped wide open, and she stared blankly at the nurse for a long time. _How the hell are we supposed to do the show now?! _she screamed mentally. "No, uh, she needs to walk," Max tried explaining to the nurse. "We've got a big Broadway show coming up —"

The nurse clicked her tongue sympathetically and said, "Sorry dear, but it'll have to wait."

_It can't wait! _Max wanted to scream, but instead she just solemnly nodded her head and the nurse lead her into Maya's room.

Maya was sitting up on her bed, reading a _Teen Vogue _magazine. She seemed perfectly fine to Max, as if nothing had happened to her leg.

"So Maya will be in the hospital for about a month, at least, so we can check on her every day, as she severely injured her leg," the nurse explained to Max. She simply nodded, prompting the nurse to continue. "We'll most likely let her out after a month, but she'll have a boot, along with a pair of crutches, and she won't be able to walk very much at all. Three months is what we're guessing as to when she'll be able to walk again."

Maya, just now hearing all of this, looked up from her magazine and screeched, voice extremely angry. "WHAT? Oh, my God, no! 'Boots,'" she said the word with utter disgust, "are _so_ not in season right now!"

Max sighed, shutting her eyes for a second. "Sorry, dear," the nurse said somewhat-sympathetically, "Max told me about the big show, and it's just going to have to wait." Maya's eyes widened, and she glared at Max.

"_You_," Maya sneered at Max. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" she boomed at her, causing Max to want to slap Maya. "It was all your fault! I know you've been out to get me, since who _knows _how long, but this is way too low, Max! This is LOW, even for your standards!"

Max was astounded that Maya would even think that. "I don't know what the hell your problem is Maya," Max replied in a deathly-calm voice, "but I sure as hell didn't do that to you on purpose - or, at all, really."

"Why the hell should I believe that?" Maya screeched at Max, arms flailing about. It reminded Max of her sister's old temper tantrums from when they were kids. "For all I know, you were out to kill me!" she said outrageously. "I'm pressing charges for attempted murder!"

"Yes, because that's what I do," Max snapped sarcastically. "I go around trying to kill people but instead they just break their legs – ooh, especially my _twin – freaking – sister_!"

"She even admitted it!" Maya yelled at no one in particular. The nurse had left already; whether it was to avoid the commotion between the two sisters, or check up on another patient, no one knows, and probably ever would.

Max sighed, and then looked at her bed-ridden sister. "It was sarcasm, you moron!"

"Guys," said a new voice, entering the scene, "calm down."

"Don't tell us what to do!" both Maya and Max simultaneously snapped at the voice. Max whipped her head around to see who it was, expecting either her dad or mom, but instead, she saw… Nick?

Max groaned and said, "What the hell do you want, Nick?"

"Nick, thank God!" Maya said gratefully. "Tell her that I'm pressing charges for attempted murder! She doesn't seem to understand it when I say it!" Maya looked up at Nick in an attempted pout, which didn't at _all_ go with her messed up hair, or hospital gown.

Nick's lip quirked upwards, and he asked, "Now when did she try to kill you?"

Maya face-palmed, in attempt to be cute and appealing to Nick (which wasn't really working), and said, "That's right! You weren't there! Okay, so what happened was, I was rehearsing, and Max just comes up and pushes me off the stage! SHE TRIED TO KILL ME!" Maya added, with extra emphasis. Max held back a snicker at her pathetic sister, imagining Maya as the Red Queen from _Alice in Wonderland_.

"Wow," Max muttered to herself. "She's _actually_ good at acting," she scoffed, burying her head in her hands.

"I don't think that's what happened, Maya," Nick said, just loud enough for the two girls to hear.

Maya had an icy glare on her face as she said, tone low, "What did you say?"

Max's head shot up from her hands and she looked at Nick, wide-eyed. "What _did _you say?" she asked him, in a softer voice than Maya had asked him the same thing.

This time, louder and with more confidence, Nick repeated, "I said, I don't think that's how it happened. In fact, I _know_ that's not how it happened."

"Now, Nick, don't jump to conclusions," Maya said, daring him to object her. "It's how it happened."

Nick gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. This is why he'd broken up with Maya. She was clingy, desperate, and a _liar_. A huge liar, that's what she was. "Maya," he said calmly, trying his best to restrain himself, "I saw it. I saw the whole deal, and it's not how it happened."

Maya's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and she stuttered, "W-what?"

Max, all the while, was watching the two intently, ready to spring up and leave if it ever got ugly. Max too, repeated what Maya had said, and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Nick coughed, smothering a chuckle, and said, "This is going to sound kind of creepy, but I was watching you rehearse, Maya, and I witnessed the whole thing. About how Max came in, and how _you_ tripped yourself, Maya. _You're_ the one who injured yourself."

"Nicky, what are you saying?" Maya asked softly, and manipulatively.

His hands were clenched even more now, nails digging into his flesh, enough to draw out blood. "Don't call me that," he snapped, eyes narrowed at Maya.

She recoiled, and then, gaining her confidence back, she said, "Well whose side are you one? Mine or _hers_?" she shot a glare at Max as she spat the final word.

He sighed, and then said firmly, "Not everything can go your way, Maya. You understand that? I'm on her side."

Maya shrieked, not knowing that her "plan" would backfire. She said venomously to Max, "You tell him! Tell him that it's not like how he saw it!"

Max was still there, watching the two while they conversed, but this time her mouth was agape, shocked at the fact that Nick stuck up for her. Max shut her mouth and said to Maya, "You know what Maya? No, I won't. What he said is the truth, the _actual_ truth, so no, I'm good. Plus, why the hell would I lie to him and say, 'Why, yes, I _did_ attempt to kill her in a jealous rage'!" she snorted, rolling her eyes. "You need your head checked if you think I'm gonna do that for you."

"Yeah, and you know what Maya?" Nick asked her. "Don't expect me to come crawling back to you, okay?" he told her, knowing very well that that was why she had signed up for this show in the first place. He left the room, fists still clenched, his knuckles white, and an awkward silence enveloped Maya and Max.

Before Maya could scream at her, Max ran out of the room, closely following Nick.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked him.

He whipped around, ready to sock her in the gut (on force of habit), lowered his hand, and then said, "Because you don't deserve to be treated like that."

"You don't even know me," she replied, eyebrows raised.

"I don't need to know someone to stick up for them," he murmured, and then walked away from her, leaving Max looking after him in shock.

_[At the auditorium, two hours later]_

"Hey guys!" Anne said to Nick and Max, jogging up to them. "What happened with Maya?"

Before Max could say anything, Nick simply stated that she had severely hurt her leg and couldn't walk for at least three months.

"Max!" Jeb called up to her. She whipped her head around, eyes locking on her father as she smiled, averting her attention to him, and away from Anne and Nick, who were now just calmly chatting about the accident.

"Hmm?" she asked Jeb, walking up closer to him.

He grinned at her and said, "Now's your time to shine, baby girl!"

"What are you talking about?" she wondered him, genuinely confused.

Jeb's grin got wider, and he said, "I convinced Lissa and Anne to let you play the part of Max!" He opened up his arms for a hug, and then slowly let them down when he realized that she wasn't going to give him one.

"What?" she asked incredulously instead.

He smiled at her, and said, "Be excited! You'll do great!" Max hugged him now, thanking him for the compliment. She laughed lightheartedly, but on the inside, she was nervous.

_Would Maya get mad if she told her this?_

She probably would. And who knows? Maybe she'll come back for revenge when she can actually walk.

Max shrugged all of these doubts off for now, and joined the rest of the cast and crew as they congratulated her.

_[Blackout]_

* * *

**Author's Note: **And BAM! She got the part :)

**Bubbles: **Teehee. BAM! SHE GOT THE PART :D Review please?

**Fluffy**: BOOYAH! Hehe, felt like saying that. Anyway, MAX GOT THE PART — LIKE A FREAKIN' FANGIRL PRO! Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP?

**Anna: **THAT FANGIRL PRO THING IS MINE! (Hehe, I felt like saying I own something…SINCE WE DON'T OWN MR! WHICH FREAKIN' SUCKS!) Anyways…MAXIE IS A STAAAAAAAAAAAR! *Wipes away tears.* She grew up so fast… :')

**Fluffy: **I felt the need to add this. ANNA, the pro thing is us all! Ah. Now I'm satisfied :)

**=) SACA BAF (=**


	6. I Can't Be Falling For Her

_Behind The Curtains_

**Chapter 6- **I can't be falling for her

**Act Two, Scene 1 (Fang)**

* * *

_[Nick's apartment. He received an invitation in the mail and is sitting on his couch reading it. The envelope it torn and laying on the ground.]_

_~.*.~_

_You're invited to the cast of 'Maximum Ride' get-together!_

_Auditorium_

_4:30-6:30 pm_

_~.*.~_

He sighed, reclining into the black couch even further, letting the leathery sound and texture surround him. Nick couldn't believe how quickly Maya had gotten replaced, though he was relieved there would be no more "alone" practices that she insisted on.

Having Max replace Maya wasn't a bad thing, in any means. It was actually quite good.

It just disturbed him, how Maya didn't care if she ruined her sister's life, as long as she got what she wanted. Nick always knew that Maya was a selfish person, but never would he have imagined that she'd go to that extent.

Nick glanced at the clock on the wall, only to find it was already 4:00! He grabbed his jacket and headed out of his apartment to the auditorium where the get-together was being held.

_[Auditorium. Nick is the last to arrive and there are several tables full of food and refreshments. Someone has put up balloons, as well.]_

"Hey Nick!" Anne said. He nodded towards her, spotting his manager, Camellia Love, chatting next to Max and Maya's father, Jeb, as well as Lissa, the producer. She caught his eye, smirked at him, and then returned to her conversation with Jeb and Lissa.

The 'Flock', consisting of Nudge, Angel, Iggy, Gazzy, and now Max, came up to greet him. "Hey, Fang!" Iggy called out.

He saw Max's eyebrows raise at the name "Fang", and he was quick to explain. "They've gotten so used to the script, that's what they call me now."

Max nodded, hesitantly smiling at him. "Oh, okay… Fang." She didn't know what to think; he had been such a jerk before, but now, he was so sweet and nice. Not to mention he practically saved her from jail, or whatever Maya's wicked mind had planned for Max. It wasn't possible that her… her childhood crush was making it's way to the stage again; was it?

Nick smiled at Max, before he made his way over to the refreshment table to pick up a cup of _Coke_. What did he think of Max? She looked so similar to Maya, yet they were both so different. He decided he'd not hold Max accountable for all the things Maya had done, ruining his life in the process.

It was nearing the end of the get-together — it was about 6:15 — and people were starting to leave. Soon, it was only Max, Jeb, Lissa, Anne, and Nick.

"We're going to leave now," Anne said, as she and Lissa stood by the exit of the auditorium.

"Are you sure you don't need help cleaning up?" Lissa asked.

Jeb shook his head. "Thanks for asking, but I think we've got it under control. Have a good night ladies!" They waved and walked away, leaving Nick and the Batchelder's.

"I can stay behind and clean up," Nick offered, already gathering the single-use cups and tossing them into the plastic bag. "You two should go home, it's been a long week for both of you."

"It's alright Nick, I planned this, I think it'd only be fair if I cleaned it up," Jeb argued.

Max patted her dad's back. "I'll stay behind and help F-Nick," she assured. "You should go and rest." Jeb agreed to his daughter's wishes, gave Nick and unreadable look, and left.

"Rehearsal is bright and early tomorrow morning, Maxie!" he reminded, leaving.

She nodded and began cleaning up.

They returned the auditorium to its previous state in silence, only saying a few phrases such as, "Can you get that for me?", "Thank you,", or "Sure." When it was all clean, the trash bags piled outside, Max wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Thanks for the help, Fang," she said kindly, grabbing her bag as she prepared to leave.

"Wait, Max!" Nick called before he could stop himself. She paused, mid-step, and turned around to face him.

"Hmm?" Max wondered, confusement spread across her face. "Did you need something?"

He cursed himself inwardly. Why did he call her back? It was stupid, yet Nick continued with what he was going to say. "Um, well, Maya and I had private rehearsals, since we're the main characters, and all… Did you, uh, want to practice some?" Why was he stuttering? Nick Davidson does _not_ get nervous, and he sure as _hell_ does not stutter.

Max blinked at him. _That is definitely Maya; wanting to get some alone time with Fang,_ she scoffed internally. _Well, since I'm late, might as well get some extra practice in…_ "Sure; where'd you leave off?"

Nick sighed in relief; Max hadn't blown him off as if the thought of spending time with him was ridiculous. "The part after 'you' try to talk Nudge into going to South America. In the desert." _This_ was the normal composure Nick had — calm, cool, and collected — as he recited the part he and Maya had left off last.

"Oh. Okay."

"Do you know the script?"

She looked at him oddly. "I _wrote_ the script, dude. Of course I know it." Max took a breath, before beginning. "Then she said that she is a total freak and that she's staying here. After everything I came up with, everything I could think of, she said she's staying here."

Nick frowned, rubbing his forehead. "She's confused. She's just a kid."

"You know we have to go. What if she really won't come with us?" Max asked, worry inflected in her voice. She noticed the dim light of the stage shadowing certain parts of Nick's face, his eyes dark like the night sky.

"How can we force her?"

"Even if we made her come, she'd just hold it against us. She'd be mad." Max let out a sigh.

He nodded slowly. "You have to want to be with someone, or it doesn't work. You have to choose."

Max's brown eyes searched Nick's impassive face, as if she was confused about something. "Uh yeah," Max stuttered awkwardly. "Um, and she…" she trailed off, eyes locked with Nick's intense gaze.

Nick leaned in closer, and Max finally realized the scene they were doing. _So stupid! It's the —_

"I choose _you_," Nick said softly, still leaning closer, his hand cupping Max's face. "_Max._"

He leaned in even further, his long eyelashes slowly closing, as his mouth crept closer and closer to Max's.

She began hyperventilating as he came in. _It's too soon. Too confusing. Too _wrong_, _Max thought wildly as her eyes narrowed in on Nick's approaching lips. _I can't like Fang, I can't! It's just a show!_

Right as Nick's lips grazed Max's, she jumped back. "INSERT HUGE, MIND-BLOWING MAKE-OUT SESSION! Uh, sorry Fang, I have to leave, Dad — I mean Ari, I mean — Nudge! Yeah, Nudge is expecting me. See you at rehearsal tomorrow!" she shouted, grabbing her bag and sprinting out the door.

Nick's last thought as Max ran out of the auditorium was, _I can't be falling for her._

_[Blackout]_

* * *

**Author's Note: **MWAHAHA! We love you!

**Fluffy: **I bet when you all read "The part after 'you' try to talk Nudge into going to South America. In the desert." You all went "EEK!" or something along those lines. Ah! Another scene: "INSERT HUGE, MIND-BLOWING MAKE-OUT SESSION!" *teehee* I wrote that.

**Bubbles: *BUBBLES' A/N***

**Anna: *ANNA'S A/N*  
**

**=) SACA BAF (=**


End file.
